Latest news with #publicSchools
Fox News
11 hours ago
- Business
- Fox News
Educational Choice for Children Act: A tax break for the rich, not a lifeline for students
Like many Americans this summer, I'll be heading to a football stadium to see Beyoncé deliver two hours of magic on her Cowboy Carter Tour. I paid a premium for those tickets – and I'm OK with that. It was my choice – not something I can deduct from my taxes or expect to be federally subsidized. That's the way it should be. The same goes for my guilty pleasure: "Keeping Up With the Kardashians." I don't mind watching the antics of one of America's most famous (and wealthiest) families, but I'd never ask taxpayers to help fund their children's private school tuition. And yet, some in Congress think that's precisely what we should do. A proposal quietly tucked into the House GOP's reconciliation package, part of what's being marketed as President Donald Trump's "Big, Beautiful Bill," would give wealthy individuals and corporations a 100% federal tax credit for donations to private school scholarship funds. This proposal – the Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA) – effectively allows wealthy donors to turn tuition into a tax write-off. That's right. This plan, currently before the U.S. Senate, would allow billionaires to "donate" to their kids' private schools – and then receive every cent back in tax relief, at the expense of American taxpayers. This is not a small-dollar program. The measure could siphon more than $10 billion away from federal revenues, funds that could otherwise strengthen our nation's public schools. Now, I don't think Blue Ivy Carter or North West needs our help getting into elite institutions. However, the backers of this bill, such as House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik, have argued that it's primarily about helping working-class students escape "low-performing" schools. "It will encourage more individuals and businesses to invest in our children's futures," Stefanik said, "by establishing a 75% federal tax credit for qualified charitable contributions made to nonprofit schools with proven success." That sounds good – until you look at the evidence. In practice, measures like ECCA have the opposite effect. Instead of helping students in underfunded schools, they divert public dollars to families who already have access to private education. We've seen it happen in more than 20 states, where private schools receive more than $1 billion each year through similar tax credits, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. A 2023 report in St. Louis Today revealed that most students receiving vouchers in Missouri were already attending private schools, while only 35% came from public schools. In other words, this isn't about opportunity. It's about entitlement. Every year, public schools educate nearly 50 million students – more than 90% of the nation's children. These taxpayer-funded institutions have produced extraordinary alumni, including the CEOs of Apple, Walmart and the majority of Fortune 500 companies. Public schools are where kids learn how to live and work in a diverse democracy. They're not perfect, but they are essential. Educators know this better than anyone. A 2024 Pew Research Center survey of more than 2,300 public school teachers found that most feel underpaid, under-supported and under-resourced. Respondents also reported a deep commitment to their students and their profession. More than half of these educators said they wished the public understood the difficulty of their job. Teachers across the U.S. are clear: students don't need more "choice" – they need more investment. As one Kentucky educator told the Louisville Courier Journal earlier this year, "If lawmakers actually stepped into our classrooms, they'd see what we're doing with so little. Give us more counselors, working air conditioning, and reading specialists – don't hand tax breaks to people who already have advantages." These educators are on the front lines. They're not asking for handouts. They're asking for fairness – and for policies that reflect the real needs of public school communities. It's worth noting that the original pitch behind voucher programs – dating back to the early 2000s – was to help low-income families in struggling urban districts. But decades of research have shown that voucher students don't perform significantly better in reading or math than their public school peers. Meanwhile, the programs have drained resources from the very schools most in need of help. That's not reform. That's abandonment. The concept of "school choice" has become a catch-all for undermining public education without explicitly stating so. But make no mistake: this is a wealth transfer in disguise, and ECCA is its latest vehicle. As a son of immigrants and a proud product of public schools, I know firsthand what public education can offer. I've seen how classrooms can unlock potential and teachers can change lives. I've also seen what happens when we neglect those systems and call it innovation. This isn't just bad policy. It's a betrayal of the American promise. Let's be clear: families have every right to choose private or religious schools for their children. But they shouldn't expect the rest of us to foot the bill. Tax dollars should be allocated where the need is greatest – schools that serve all students, regardless of their ZIP code, income or background. At a time when the country feels increasingly divided, our public schools are one of the few places where kids from every walk of life still come together. That's something worth protecting, not defunding. Or, to borrow a phrase from Queen Bey herself, what's happening with this bill is more than just a bad idea. It's a requiem for the American ideal. Let's not let it play out.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
History from News Journal archives, June 1-7: Delaware Bible law, plans for nuclear plant
"Pages of history" features excerpts from The News Journal archives including The Morning News and The Evening Journal. See the archives at June 1, 1925, The Evening Journal A legal test of the Delaware law providing compulsory reading of the Bible 'without comment' in public schools and colleges is being sought by the American Civil Liberties Union, according to Prof. Clarence R. Skinner of Tuft's College, chairman of the Union's Committee on Academic Freedom. Prof. Skinner states that 'the Delaware law, like the Tennessee anti-evolution law, which the Civil Liberties Union is fighting, strikes so serious a blow at academic freedom that we cannot let the issue rest until it has been passed upon by the courts.' The Delaware Bible law, which was first passed by the Legislature in March 1923, has recently been amended to impose a fine upon any teacher who shall fail to obey this act, and providing that such teacher shall forfeit his or her certificates. ... The law provides that 'no religious service or exercise except the reading of the Bible and the repeating of the Lord's prayer shall be held in any school receiving any portion of the moneys appropriated for the support of public schools.' It is believed that the Bible law and its amendments violate the constitutional guarantee of religious freedom and the Delaware Bill of Rights, according to the Civil Liberties Union…. Recent school news: DE state rep working with expired teaching license removed from House Education Committee June 5, 1975, The Morning News Delmarva Power & Light Co. already has awarded the construction contract for its proposed nuclear power plant near Summit, the General Assembly learned yesterday. DP&L confirmed last night that parts of the contract – worth an estimated $1.1 billion – were awarded in 1972 and last year to United Engineers and Contractors Inc. of Philadelphia. A spokesman said no announcements were made because 'we didn't think it was news.' Gov. Sherman W. Tribbitt told a meeting of legislative leaders he had learned that the general contract had been awarded and was unhappy because none of the subcontractors were from Delaware. ... Rep. Joseph P. (Jody) Ambrosino Jr., R - Edgemoor Terrace, took to the House floor to criticize DP&L for advancing to this stage without all the required government permits. In response, DP&L said the contract was awarded because it takes awhile to do all the preliminary work necessary before construction can begin. Ambrosino said he would introduce a bill today that would impose a two-year moratorium on construction. He said questions about the plant's safety, efficiency, cost and disposal of radioactive waste haven't been answered adequately. The federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved the construction of this power plant in February, although it said more information would be necessary before construction permits were issued. The two 766-megawatt nuclear generators will be built on the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal, just north of Summit, and are scheduled for completion in 1984…. There have been several public hearings and there is strong opposition to the project on the grounds that safety standards are inadequate both for construction and operation. DP&L says the plant is needed to meet the rising demand for electricity. It also says the project would boost Delaware's economy by providing hundreds of construction jobs…. Recent Delmarva Power news: How lawmakers are trying to reduce energy bills, protect ratepayers in Delaware June 7, 2000, The News Journal By Adam Taylor, staff reporter The Rev. Jesse Jackson vowed Tuesday to push MBNA Corp. to put minorities on its all-white board of directors. Jackson said he would organize protests against the credit card company and would research its record on hiring and promoting minorities. ... MBNA – the state's second-largest private employer with 10,000 workers – has faced criticism about the lack of diversity on its board before. Bank shareholders in April voted down a proposal from a religious group for MBNA to consider adding women and minorities to the board. Jackson was in Wilmington on Tuesday to attend General Motors' annual stockholders meeting at the Hotel du Pont. He said he wants the automaker to increase its diversity efforts. Jackson's Rainbow/PUSH Coalition owns GM stock. He was meeting with about 30 city political and religious leaders at the Wyndham Garden Hotel when someone handed him a newspaper article about the MBNA shareholders vote. Reach reporter Ben Mace at rmace@ This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: History from News Journal, June 1-7: Bible law, nuclear plant plans
